Top gripping bottle carriers are well known in the art and may take different forms depending on the nature and size of the bottles to be packaged. One example of a bottle carrier which is especially adapted for use in conjunction with a single row of flanged bottles is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,191 issued Dec. 25, 1979 and owned by the assignee of this invention. This bottle carrier is particularly sturdy and is well suited for use in conjunction with large bottles. In order to assemble a bottle carrier according to this patent, an application of glue is required and since the carrier is particularly sturdy, it is mandatory that easy opening tear strips be incorporated as a feature of the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,149 issued Feb. 26, 1980 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,192,540 issued Mar. 11, 1980 both owned by the assignee of this invention disclose top gripping article carriers which are adapted for packaging bottles arranged in at least two rows of at least two bottles each. These two types of carriers are well suited for use in conjunction with bottles having screw-on resealable type caps but are not especially well adapted for use in conjunction with bottles having integral outwardly protruding flanged neck portions.